I spoke to a handful of American Airlines Center season-ticket holders who sit near the Mavs bench. And while David Stern's office is claiming to have their best interests in mind by ordering Mavs bench players to show less "exuberance,'' none of them know what he's talking about.

"It's part of the fun of sitting down here,'' said one Mavs fan. "It's part of the excitement.''

Said another: "It was sometimes a little crazy when Nellie was here, because he's so big, we couldn't see around him. But hearing the coach, watching guys jump up and down, feeling like you're in the middle of the action, that's why we bought these seats.''

And one more: "No matter where you sit, there are always going to be excited people standing up in front of you. In other seats, it's kids standing up. In these seats, it's players. I guess you can spend all night yelling, 'Down in front!' Or you can stand up yourself and be a part of the excitement.''

It should be noted that the NBA did not contact any of these folks before handing down the "too much exuberance'' mandate. I know that not only because the fans told me so, but because the NBA made a phone call to Mavs management at halftime of a game. Meaning some DirecTV-watching exec in New York decided from 2,000 miles away that some Mavs fan in Dallas might be unhappy.